Method of heating oil-wells



(No Model.) ,P. H. MURRAY.

Method of Heating 011 Wells.

No, 239,975. Patented April 12,1881.-

m. .filfinto? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- PATRICK H. MURRAY, OF PARKER CITY, PENN SYLYANIA.

METHOD OF HEATING OIL-WELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 239,975, dated April 12, 1881.

Application filed March 15, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom "at may concern Be it known that I, PATRICK H. MURRAY, of Parker City, in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Heating Oil-Wells; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had i to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved process and the devices for heating oil-wells for the purpose of melting the parafine or other substances which obstruct the flow of oil. Heretofore this has been accomplished by hot water or steam, which have been found to be objectionable, the water requiring too much power to pump it out of the well, and the steam, even when superheated, condensing, and thus depositing water in the bottom of thewell.

The object of my invention is to produce in the wells the required heat without the abovenamed objections. I accomplish thisby introducing heated air directly upon the oil and the paraffine at the bottom of the well by suitable means, as hereinafter described, and as shown in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steam-heater and an air-pump with requisite pipes. Fig.2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the heater and pump. Fig. 3 is an end view of a steam heater having a number of air-pipes. Fig. 4 is an end view and a sectional view of one of the heads of the air-pump cylinder. Fig. 5 illustrates the manner of inserting the hot-air pipe in an oil-well.

A represents a steam-chest and heater, to be supplied with steam through a pipe, (1, connected with a steam-generator.

B represents an air-pump, provided with a piston, b, and piston-rod b,-connected with the operating power. Each end of thepump-cylinder is provided with a hinged valve, 0, adjusted overan opening to admit air into the cylinder as the piston moves from the opening, and to close the opening as the piston returns.

An air-pipe, d, is attached at each end to the pump-cylinder, communicating with the airchamber near the ends of the cylinder. This pipe is provided with check-valves c 0, adjusted to open to allow the passage of air from the pump and to close to prevent the return of the air from the pipe into the pump. This pipe is connected in the middle with apipe, d, which is extended through the heater and downward into the oil-well. This air-pipe may be returned back and forth through the heater, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and then extended down the well to increase the heat of the air in the pipe before being forced into the well and anyrequirednumberof pipes may be employed and extended through the heater into the well to increase the quantity of the hot air in the well. The heater is provided wit-h a drainage-cock, as shown at 01?.

The heater and air-pump may be placed at any convenient distance from the oil-well. The hot-air pipe is inserted within the casing G with the tubing D, as shown in Fig. 5 ofthe drawings,thns imparting to the oil-tube warmth sufficient to prevent theliability of the paraffine from adhering to the walls of the tube, and facilitatin g the flow of oil through the well-tube, while the hot air is forced directly upon the oil and paraffine at the bottom of the well. The heater being supplied with steam and the pump put in operation,the airis forced through the pipe d into the pipe 01, and after being sufficiently heated isforced downward through the extended pipe (1 directly upon the oil and paraffine at the bottom of the well-tube, thus melting the paraffine or other gummy substances, preventing the obstruction and facilitating the flow of the oil. In the process of thus forcing hot air through the oil some gas will be produced, which may be utilized for fuel or lights.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improved method or process of preventing obstructions to and of facilitating the flow of oil in an oil-well with hot air by forcing air through a heater in which the requisite degree of heat is imparted to the air, and conducting and forcing the heated air downward to and in direct contact with the oil and paraffine at the bottom ofthe well, substantially as set forth. t

2. The devices herein described, and shown in the drawings, as arranged and combined for heating an oil-well, consisting of the heatingchamber A, the air-pump B, and the air-pipes dd, connected with the air-pump and extended 5 back and forth in the heating-chamber and thence downward in the well-casing O to the bottom of the well, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. PATRICK H. MURRAY.

Witnesses:

F. S ENEY, M. RIoHAR'r. 

